I'm new to dovetail jointery. I'm making blind dovetails for drawer.
The dovetails were fine, the trouble was getting consistant cuts where the front and sides were exactly flush at the top and bottom. The side would be slightly higher than the front or vice versa. Also some chip-out on the last dovetail.
My solution is to make my drawer blanks over sized, then cut the dovetails, then cut the front and sides even and down to the correct size.
Am I cheating or is this a common practice?
Properly setup, they should be even at the top and bottom. Work at it until you get it right. Chipout is a problem. I have been tempted to do what you suggest, but have just relied on filler instead. Seems to be adequate.
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Yes you are cheating, Your apparently using a router.... saws dont have chipout! :-)
Seriously though...It's *all* about the "cheating". One of the key differnences between a hack and a craftman is the ability to account for, fix or hide "errors".
I say if it looks good and performs well, it's a valid process a.k.a. not cheating.
Are you cutting them by hand, or with a jig?
If the former, lack of layout precision is your problem. If the latter, generally a problem that involves one of the 'reference' stops/edges on the jig (where you butt up the piece, either to the left or right, before you clamp it to be routed).
Yes, cheating. In my experiance it is common practice to leave a slight size allowance to plane or sand the drawers for a perfect fit.
If using a dovetail jig with router I often leave out the dovetail at the top and bottom depending on the drawer width. Or shift the jig so you have a reasonable size piece at the ends.
I have seen dovetails done in a production shop with a final pass with a trim bit.
Learning to hide mistakes becomes an art. As for you sides not aligning with the fronts or backs. Center your guide bushing to the router bit. If the guide bushing is not centered it will cause the problem you describe. And or if you are cutting the two pieces at the same time on the jog insure that the stops that position the offsets on the boards are correctly positioned. To help prevent chip out back cut into the DT across the openings first.
My sentiments, exactly...
I use routers and bandsaws to rough out "hand cut" dovetails all the time. The actual joint is still hand cut, just the rough junk is removed with the power tool.
Barry
Not common. Your method (machine or handcut) is not clear. If machined, follow the manufacturer's directions. If handcut, cut one side first (either tails or pins depending on your preference), then mark the other side after flushing up the top/bottom.
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